The Sessile, N17

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

The apartment itself is very spacious with good-sized rooms, which makes a big difference to day-to-day living. The local area is very convenient, with a wide range of shops nearby and plenty of options for food, including a large selection on Uber Eats and Deliveroo. There are also weekly food trucks from local vendors, which is a great addition. For families, there are around 4–5 schools within walking distance (roughly 2 to 15 minutes), which is really helpful. Transport links are excellent, with Tottenham Hale station just a 3–5 minute walk away, making commuting very easy. In terms of downsides, on-street parking is quite limited, which can be challenging if you have a car. However, overall the area is lively, convenient, and well-connected.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

I’ve personally experienced very quick and efficient responses from the building management whenever needed, which has been reassuring. Maintenance issues have been handled promptly and professionally. I also think residents play a part in how well the building is maintained, and in the block I live in, this has generally been positive, as I’ve had very limited issues overall.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I wish I had known how much I’d enjoy living here. The combination of the location, amenities, and supportive staff has made it a really positive experience overall.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

This area is definitely on the rise with some great pubs for food and drinks near by, Mother Kelly’s is conveniently located next door and you’ll find a fantastic family run pub called The Volunteer which is a few minutes walk away. There are also plenty of green spaces, including parks, reservoirs, and canals that provide great walking routes. Additionally, there are various shops in the vicinity. Access to the Victoria Line is just around a five minute walk away, making commuting extremely easy.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

We had trouble with our water on the first day, it wasn’t a problem it was more our fault, that we didn’t know what to do. It was a simple fix but we was seen to immediately.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

The communal shared areas come at cost, a lot of the areas we was really impressed by, we didn’t realise we would have to pay for them, we thought we could access these areas with a simple booking.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

I like my neighborhood - but I wish there were more shops and local restaurants locally. I end up taking the train back into zones 1 and 2 normally to eat and shop for better selection.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Niamh Fennessey Marla has been excellent from all aspects of my tenure in the building. She responds to me extremely quickly and promptly whenever I e-mail her about anything. I also had the pleasure of her handling my tenant application which she assisted me with. I really very much appreciated all of her help and guidance thru the process.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I only viewed the apartment with the prior tenants when they were still living there - so I was unable to see some of the wear and tear on the apartment unit after they had already left and once I was able to move in. I wish I had been aware of that beforehand.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Tottenham Hale is very well connected to public transport links, being on the Vitoria line you get to central London in less than 20 minutes, and you are 1 train stop away from London Liverpool Street or Stratford. There are plenty of green spaces around and very convenient shops and good GP too.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

As mentioned, upper management responsiveness is also lacking; as an example, management (James) completely missed a scheduled meeting with us and never bothered to apologize or reschedule. Onsite team is in general very responsive and attentive, although I feel they have a lot of limitations on what they can do or offer. I can only say positive things about Clay, Niamh and Iga.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I wish I had fully understood the strict financial realities of living here, particularly regarding renewals and the check-out process. First, be prepared for a hard negotiation on your renewal if you decide to stay a second year - they will not do a flat renewal. Second, I wish I had known how aggressively management approaches deposit deductions when you leave. The walls are painted with a flat, non-washable paint that scuffs incredibly easily. Even after 12 years of flawless renting in London, and despite paying £840 in 'pet rent' over two years, they still deducted £200 from our deposit for minor, purely cosmetic wall marks. You should budget with the expectation that they will attempt to pass the cost of routine, fair wear-and-tear redecoration onto your deposit at move-out.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

I rated 4 stars because the building is right in front of the Victoria tube and the train to Liverpool street. So to get to work and to the city it’s quickly and it’s very convenient! However around the area there isn’t much to do.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Yes, always . No issue has not been attended to. Happy overall

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I made sure I was aware of everything, nothing I didn’t qualify before moving in